Custodian

Department Information

The Physical Plant Department at Indiana University (IU) Northwest is responsible for maintaining a safe, clean, and welcoming campus environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The department supports the university's academic mission by ensuring campus facilities, classrooms, offices, laboratories, and common areas are maintained to a high standard of cleanliness, safety, and operational readiness.

Custodial staff play a vital role in daily campus operations by supporting building sanitation, facility upkeep, and campus safety. This position collaborates with facilities staff and campus partners to ensure that IU Northwest provides a professional, well-maintained environment that supports learning, teaching, and community engagement.

Job Summary

Department-Specific Responsibilities

• Maintains the cleanliness and sanitation of academic buildings, offices, classrooms, laboratories, restrooms, and common spaces across the IU Northwest campus.
• Supports campus events and activities by assisting with room setup, breakdown, and cleaning as needed
• Monitors building conditions and report maintenance issues, safety hazards, or facility concerns to supervisors.
• Ensures cleaning supplies and equipment are maintained and used in accordance with university safety guidelines.
• Assists with campus seasonal operations, including snow removal, ice treatment, and inclement weather response.
• Follows university sanitation standards and safety protocols, including proper handling of cleaning chemicals and equipment.
• Provides courteous customer service to faculty, staff, students, and visitors when working in occupied spaces.

General Responsibilities

• Cleans floors, ramps, and stairs by sweeping, wet mopping/dust mopping, scrubbing, or vacuuming them. Services, cleans, and supplies restrooms. Gathers and empties recycling and trash. Cleans and polishes fixtures. Replaces light bulbs. Cleans windows, glass partitions, and mirrors using soapy water or other cleaners, sponges, and squeegees. Mixes water and detergents or acids in containers to prepare cleaning solutions, according to specifications.
• Dusts furniture, walls, machines, and equipment. Steam cleans or shampoos carpets. Strips, seals, finishes, and polishes floors. Cleans, replaces, and hangs blinds, drapes, and entrance mats. Collects and delivers soiled items.
• Clears sidewalks, drives, and adjacent areas. Shovels snow.
• Locks, unlocks, and secures buildings. Maintains awareness of building sand facilities, reports abnormalities or security concerns. Identifies and reports needed building repairs.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned. Assists with snow removal activities as necessary.

Qualifications

EDUCATION

Required

• General knowledge at the high school level.

Preferred

• High school diploma or equivalent (such as HSED or GED).

WORK EXPERIENCE

Preferred

• Custodial experience.
• Previous custodial, janitorial, or building services experience in educational institutions, healthcare facilities, government buildings, or commercial facilities.
• Experience with commercial custodial equipment, including floor buffers, auto scrubbers, carpet extractors, and industrial vacuums.
• Experience working in environments requiring strict sanitation or safety standards.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES

Preferred

• Possesses a valid driver's license with the ability to be insured by Indiana University.

SKILLS

Required

• Ability to work in a safe and efficient manner.
• Proficient communication skills.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills.
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality.
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty.
• Highly thorough and dependable.
• Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to represent the company with external constituents.
• Ability to drive multiple projects to successful completion.
• Strong verbal communication and listening skills.
• Ability to build strong customer relationships.
• Knowledge of cleaning procedures and equipment, and the ability to operate and use standard cleaning equipment and materials. Some knowledge of standard kitchen practices and sanitation methods (for positions in a food service facility).
• Ability to follow safe work practices in biohazard and/or hazardous waste clean-up (i.e., blood-borne pathogens; toxic, reactive, explosive, and ignitable laboratory wastes, corrosive wastes from cleaning operations; other miscellaneous wastes from across campus). May involve training and tests in hazardous waste management.
• Ability to interact and communicate with a wide variety of people.
• Ability to perform work that requires medium to heavy physical effort.
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to work in team environment.

Preferred

• Knowledge of proper cleaning techniques, sanitation practices, and chemical handling procedures.
• Ability to operate custodial equipment safely and efficiently.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain high standards of cleanliness.
• Ability to work independently and manage assigned work areas.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills when working with facilities staff and campus partners.
• Reliable attendance.
• Ability to interact professionally with faculty, staff, students, and campus visitors.